West Point Light is a lighthouse in King County, Washington. The nearest town is Greenwood, about 7.0 km (4.3 mi) away (West Point Light lies WSW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 7 m (23 ft). It dates from 1881. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The West Point Light, also known as the Discovery Park Lighthouse, is an active aid to navigation on Seattle, Washington's West Point, which juts into Puget Sound and marks the northern extent of Elliott Bay. The lighthouse is similar in design to the Point No Point Light and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is a main feature of Seattle's Discovery Park.From the Wikipedia article “West Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Point Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 53° NE | 9:12 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 125° SE | 4:21 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 25m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:31 AM | 5:12 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 58m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 27m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From West Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:45 AM – 4:15 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:46 AM – 3:06 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:20 AM – 2:00 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:49 PM – 12:59 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:29 PM – 10:59 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.64 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 64 | 63 | 71 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 100 | 91 | 91 | 79 | 71 | 60 |
| Low °F | 13 | 15 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 40 | 46 | 46 | 39 | 28 | 16 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.7 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 7.5 | 6.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this lighthouse
- During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Meadow Point, Shilshole Bay, 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of West Point Light, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Beach
Lake
LighthouseLighthouse
LakeLighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Point Light?
What time is golden hour at West Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Point Light?
How far is West Point Light from Greenwood?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.